Persona 5 was already a great game when it was released in the West in 2017. With the western release of Persona 5 Royal in 2020, an already great RPG was made even better with improvements to both the gameplay and characters. Events that stand out in both versions of the game are the characters, The Phantom Thieves of Hearts, awakening to their personas.
Taking on a Dragon Ball Z feel to them, each character experiences something that eventually culminates with them awakening their personas by being true to themselves. While all are great in their own ways, some are inevitably stronger than others. These are all persona awakenings within the game ranked worst to best.
10 Morgana
The first true party member in the game also happens to have the weakest awakening in the game. It is by no means bad but unlike the others on this list, Morgana's awakening kind of just happens without any proper buildup.
In fact, it may not even be a true awakening since it involves no mask removal at all. At least Morgana does look cool beneath that small and cute stature of his though.
9 Haru
Much like Morgana, Haru's awakening is not technically a true awakening since she was only half-awakened to her persona (it is as confusing as it sounds). Haru only fully awakens when she meets her father's shadow for the first time and she sees how he really feels about her.
Though it is satisfying to see Haru stand up to her father, the buildup is longer than necessary and ultimately leaves less of an impact than some of the other awakenings.
8 Ryuji
Though he may be a hothead, Ryuji is loyal and will look out for his friends no matter what. This is highlighted perfectly in his awakening when Joker and Morgana are both down at the mercy of Shadow Kamoshida.
While it may not be as flashy as others, this awakening has a good buildup and does its intended goal when Ryuji embraces his role as a troublemaker. He is able to save his friends from Kamoshida.
7 Ann
Having more development than Ryuji with her awakening, Ann was forced into a relationship with Kamoshida so her friend Shiho will get a spot on the volleyball team. When Shiho tries suicide, she eventually finds her way into Kamoshida's palace.
Wanting Kamoshida to answer for his crimes, Ann summons Carmen for the first time and unleashes her fury, which eventually leads to Kamoshida confessing to his crimes.
6 Kasumi/Sumire
The character introduced in the Royal version of the game has technically two awakenings, a false and true one. As Kasumi, she sees her seemingly dead sister, Sumire, which results in a flashy looking awakening that highlights her gymnastics background perfectly. However, there is a lack of blood when she removes her mask, foreshadowing the twist with this character.
The second one, as her true self Sumire, happens in Maruki's Palace during the third semester. Sumire rips off her mask as she pleads with her dead sister's spirit, the real Kasumi, to aid her to keep their dream alive. Kasumi's spirit then takes on the form of the new Cendrillon.
5 Joker (Protagonist)
The only awakening to be animated and the one that sets the standard for all the future awakenings, this is perhaps the most dramatic. As Joker is powerless to save Ryuji during their first encounter with Shadow Kamoshida, his beginner persona, Arsene urges him to help.
Joker rips off his signature mask to summon Arsene, embracing his role as a rebel and ravaging his enemies. Pursuing his own justice, regardless of what society thinks about it.
4 Akechi
An awakening with villainous intent, Akechi showcases his true self in the middle of his battle with the Phantom Thieves in Shido's palace. Laughing maniacally the whole time, his previous white and red Crow outfit transforms into a dark black and blue costume that reveals Akechi as the culprit behind the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns that had been happening throughout the game.
This introduces the second phase of Akechi's boss fight in which he goes berserk, a development highlighted by camera zoom-ins on his bloodshot eyes.
3 Yusuke
Yusuke perhaps has the flashiest awakening, which ties in great with his eccentric personality and his lifestyle as an artist. His awakening occurs when he finally admits the truth about his mentor and father figure, Madarame, after his shadow basically admits to being a fraudulent artist for the sake of money.
The pain of the truth is highlighted when Yusuke drags his fingers on the floor so hard that they bleed. It captures a lot of pain and emotion in it, much like an artist's painting.
2 Futaba
Futaba's awakening has the most buildup since her palace, a pyramid, showcases her guilt over the death of her mother, Wakaba's apparent suicide. This stems from a suicide note left by Futaba's mother that blamed her daughter for her death.
When she stumbles into her palace, Futaba encounters her shadow who urges her to remember the truth. The suicide was a forgery by Men In Black and that her mother really loved her. Futaba's then transforms into her persona, Necronomicon, just in time to aid the Phantom Thieves in fighting the Wakaba sphinx, helping them just as they helped her.
1 Makoto
Ranking ahead of Futaba is Makoto, mostly for her sudden face turn during the Kaneshiro arc. Makoto started out as someone the player might hate and an enemy to the Phantom Thieves. But gradually, players see that Makoto is unsure of what she should do in life. Makoto feels as if she is a burden to everyone, especially her sister Sae, who flat out states as much.
These emotions culminate in Makoto awakening to her persona, Johanna, who is a motorcycle that she rides, wanting to be true to herself and to stick to her own path. It has just the right amount of buildup, which culminates in perhaps the most satisfying awakening in the game.